An Unnatural Beanstalk Read online

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Epilogue

  Entwined Tales

  The World of Entwined Tales

  One year later…

  You Stay Out of This

  We Are Falling Madly in Love

  That’s Not How This Works

  That’s Why I Called You Jack

  You Need a What?

  I Really am Sorry

  Don’t Call Me That

  This Man Has a Problem

  It’s Not My Fault You’re Stumpy

  You’re None of Those Things

  Don’t Be Sorry

  You’ll Need Nothing Short of a Miracle

  When Your Palms Get Sweaty, You Must Be in Love

  No, but You Will

  You’re Much More Violent than I Would Have Expected

  You Really are a Terrible Fairy

  I Would Like to Honor Him with a Song

  I Can Explain

  This Is Your Choice

  Entwined Tales continues with Sophie’s story

  Afterword

  About the Author

  Copyright

  An Unnatural Beanstalk

  A Retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk

  Brittany Fichter

  The Entwined Tales Vol. 2

  To Paige

  I’m so proud of you, my beautiful baby cousin. Whenever you find a new dream, you put your whole self into chasing it, giving it your all and never going halfway. Don’t forget to slow down sometimes and let your family love on you the way you deserve to be loved. I believe firmly that God has a destiny for you, and that no one can fill the role you were given from eternity past.

  Contents

  Entwined Tales

  The World of Entwined Tales

  Prologue

  One year later…

  1. You Stay Out of This

  2. We Are Falling Madly in Love

  3. That’s Not How This Works

  4. That’s Why I Called You Jack

  5. You Need a What?

  6. I Really am Sorry

  7. Don’t Call Me That

  8. This Man Has a Problem

  9. It’s Not My Fault You’re Stumpy

  10. You’re None of Those Things

  11. Don’t Be Sorry

  12. You’ll Need Nothing Short of a Miracle

  13. When Your Palms Get Sweaty, You Must Be in Love

  14. No, but You Will

  15. You’re Much More Violent than I Would Have Expected

  16. You Really are a Terrible Fairy

  17. I Would Like to Honor Him with a Song

  18. I Can Explain

  19. This Is Your Choice

  Epilogue

  Entwined Tales continues with Sophie’s story

  Afterword

  About the Author

  Copyright

  Entwined Tales

  1. A Goose Girl: Retelling of The Goose Girl - KM Shea

  2. An Unnatural Beanstalk: A Retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk - Brittany Fichter

  3. A Bear’s Bride: A Retelling of East of the Sun, West of the Moon - Shari L. Tapscott

  4. A Beautiful Curse: A Retelling of the Frog Bride - Kenley Davidson

  5. A Little Mermaid: A Retelling of The Little Mermaid - Aya Ling

  6. An Inconvenient Princess: A Retelling of Rapunzel - Melanie Cellier

  The World of Entwined Tales

  Prologue

  Nice Try, Sister

  Eva held her breath as she hurried to pull the strings off the parchment wrapping. Then she and her sisters gasped as she lifted the sky-blue gown into the air.

  “Oh, Eva!” Rynn breathed, giving Eva’s shoulders a squeeze. “It’s perfect!”

  “Put it on! Put it on!” Sophie shoved Eva toward the dressmaker’s little stall in the back of the shop. Eva obeyed, for once not rebuking her younger sister’s impatience. Eva was just as excited to see it as Sophie.

  The layers of blue silk caressed her skin like water as Mrs. Thatcher slid the dress down over Eva’s head and shoulders and let it fall to her ankles. Eva closed her eyes and basked in the hundreds of soft ruffles as the dressmaker buttoned up the back of the gown.

  “What do you think of the crystals?”

  “Pardon me?”

  Mrs. Thatcher laughed. “Look at your skirt.”

  Eva opened her eyes again and looked down more carefully this time, running her hands over the skirt’s smooth surface. Sure enough, she felt rough little bumps where the gown flounced out just above the knees. She hadn’t noticed them before because of the shade of the stall. But as soon as she stepped back into the window’s light, the dozens of little crystals threw rainbows all across the room.

  “There.” Mrs. Thatcher sat back and gave a satisfied nod. “Go show your sisters.”

  As Eva stepped out from behind the curtain, she kept her eyes on the dress, hoping they wouldn’t see her blush.

  “Eva, you look like a fairy,” Ellie called from her chair in the corner.

  Eva gave a rueful laugh. “Is that a compliment?”

  Ellie shrugged and went back to reading her book. “No. Just a fact.”

  Eva shook her head with a smile and hurried over to the full-length mirror in the corner. But as soon as she did, she put her hand self-consciously to her neck. “Why is the neckline so low?”

  “My dear, isn’t that what you wanted?” Mrs. Thatcher mumbled as she sat on the floor beside Eva and touched up some of the hem at the bottom of the gown.

  “I’m afraid not. I had hoped for the design with the lace that came to the bottom of the throat.”

  Mrs. Thatcher took the pins out of her mouth and looked up with a confused frown. “I’m so sorry. But after you finished the last fitting I received your note saying you wanted the neckline to be lower. It even had your personal stamp.”

  Eva and Rynn exchanged a glance. “Sophie!” they said.

  “What?” Sophie’s brown eyes were large and innocent. But after her older sisters continued to frown at her, she finally rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. “Oh, fine. Yes, I might have helped Mrs. Thatcher finish the dress a tad more appropriately for the occasion. But it was only for your good!”

  “For my good?” Eva leaned forward and cringed when she realized how careful she would have to be when bending over in this particular dress. “I’m supposed to be playing the harp for the Winter Ball. Not attracting every desperate man in Astoria!”

  “It really isn’t that bad,” Rynn said, adjusting a few of the skirt’s ruffles. “It’s not a crime to show your collarbone.” But then she turned to Sophie. “Keep this up, however, and next time I might call you-know-who to fix your dress.”

  Sophie smirked. “He wouldn’t dare.”

  Penny peeked out from behind the corner, her amethyst eyes wide. “Be careful, Sophie. He hasn’t gifted anyone in several years. Tempt him too much, and I doubt he’d pass up a chance to gift you.”

  Eva took another step back and evaluated her reflection once more. As much as she hated to admit it, Sophie’s adjustment to her gown really was elegant. Though the gown didn’t lessen Eva’s obvious height, it succeeded in making her look graceful. The silken sleeves that reached to her wrists and ended in uneven shreds of wispy gauze sprinkled with dots of silver made her look closer to Ellie’s delicate form than ever before. The bodice was also sprinkled with flecks of crystal, and its waist closed in a V that tapered gently into the full skirt.

  For the first time since she’d hit her last growth spurt, Eva felt pretty.

  After thanking Mrs. Thatcher over and over again, Eva changed out of the beautiful dress and watched longingly as the dressmaker wrapped it up once more. Just as she was getting rea
dy to finish paying for the gown, however, the little bell above the door rang.

  “Please excuse me, ladies.” Mrs. Thatcher bustled out from behind the counter. “I’ll be back in just a moment.”

  The sisters watched as Mrs. Thatcher hurried over to the newest customer. The customer, who looked vaguely familiar to Eva, was wearing a strange assortment of clothes, from a dress that was obviously too wide and too short, to shoes that fell off her heels every time she took a step. The young woman slowly pulled something from a basket. They couldn’t see what it was, but the girls could see Mrs. Thatcher sadly shaking her head and placing a hand on the girl’s cheek.

  “Isn’t that Elizabeth White?” Liesa whispered, appearing from behind a pile of wool.

  “And where have you been?” Eva asked, handing Rynn her necklace so she could help Eva put it back on.

  Liesa made a face at her older sister. “You know everything’s not about you. If you must know, I was looking for a fabric for my new dress.”

  “Oh, so you’re going to be playing harp with me?” Eva snickered. “I’ll be sure to tell Mother that you want to practice tomorrow.”

  Liesa looked as though she wanted to make a smart retort, but the door closed again and Mrs. Thatcher returned.

  “I apologize, girls, but that was Elizabeth White.”

  “Really?” Eva squinted at the young woman’s retreating form through the window. “I haven’t seen her for years. I thought she’d moved out of town.”

  Mrs. Thatcher nodded. “She did, but her family moved back last year when she got engaged to a young blacksmith at the edge of the city.” The dressmaker sighed. “It’s just so sad.”

  “What is?” Penny asked.

  “She came to tell me that there was a fire at her parents’ house last night. They lost everything. She was hoping I could repair her wedding gown, but the poor thing was just too far gone.”

  “When is her wedding?” Eva asked. She had a sinking feeling in her stomach.

  Mrs. Thatcher ran her fingers nervously back and forth over a bolt of fabric on the cutting table. “Three days. Even if I had the material for the gown, which I would have to special order from a traveling merchant, I would need at least a week to finish a new dress that was even half as fine as the one she lost.”

  Eva forced a smile and quickly paid for her dress. Even as she did, however, she felt a small part of her heart breaking in two. She had waited for this gown for so long. But only when she’d been given the honor of being invited to be the main harpist at the city’s Winter Ball had she felt right in asking her parents for such an expensive gift. Not that they couldn’t afford it. But there was something special about earning one’s frivolities, and after all the years of her parents putting up with her excessive and sometimes awful music practice, Eva had felt as though this invitation had finally confirmed what she had so long wanted to believe. Not only did she consider herself a musician but finally, it seemed the world did, too.

  Only now, with each second that she clutched the package to her chest, she became more aware of what she had to do. She walked even faster down the road.

  “Why are you in such a hurry?” Sophie called as Eva’s sisters caught up. “I told you I want to go to the little summer fair over on the other side of the market square. You can see it from here.”

  “I can see it, too!” Liesa bounced up and down on her toes. Then she stopped, and a sly grin crossed her face. She tapped Sophie on the shoulder. “It seems as if we are not the only ones looking.”

  “What you talking about?” Eva asked absentmindedly as she scanned the square.

  “How do you not see him?” Sophie giggled. “Elmer Castings is standing at the edge of the crowd, and he’s looking right at you, Eva.”

  Liesa elbowed Sophie. “It’s a good thing you lowered that neckline. I hear Elmer’s going to be at the Winter Ball, too.”

  “Elmer,” Sophie pitched her voice up high, “you’re such a man! Let’s get married and have lots of babies! Then I can teach them all how to play the harp and boss everyone else around!” Then she and Liesa began to make kissing sounds before collapsing into one another’s arms in fits of laughter.

  “Elmer Castings smells like goat cheese,” Ellie said as she joined them, still without looking up from her book. “It’s because he spends too much time in the barnyard when he’s supposed to be in the counting house with his father.”

  Penny watched them for a moment before shaking her head and turning to Rynn and Eva. “Ellie’s right. Elmer does smell like cheese. Still,” she tilted her head thoughtfully, “I could use a few new bottles of ink, and I’ve heard they’ll be selling colored ink at the fair today. Could we go for just a few minutes?”

  Eva shook her head, still searching the crowd. “I promised Mother we would be home as soon as we were done at the dress shop. She needs help preparing for her dinner party tonight.”

  “Ellie, honey, could you give us a minute?” Rynn asked, her eyes fixed on Eva’s face. As soon as Ellie had rolled her eyes and joined the others, Rynn leaned in. “Eva, I know what you’re doing. And I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

  “How can you know that?” Eva tried to make her voice nonchalant.

  “Because I’m your older sister. And what you’re doing is kind, but it’s unwise.”

  Eva finally quit searching and turned to face her sister. “But it’s her wedding!”

  “Penny was right. He hasn’t been here in a long time. That girl is going to cause a ruckus. She doesn’t know the meaning of quiet. And if you do this, she’ll make a scene, and there’s a good chance he’d take notice.”

  “Please,” Ellie, who apparently had been listening in, peered around Rynn, “don’t do it, Eva. I have a bad feeling about this!”

  “Didn’t Elizabeth call you Lumber Man for the entire year you were ten?” Sophie piped.

  “It doesn’t matter.” Eva looked down at the package in her hands. “No one should be without a dress for her wedding.” She looked back up at Rynn. “I’ll be quiet about it, I promise! He’ll never even know.” Then, before Rynn could make a response, Eva spotted the young woman. “There she is!”

  She hurried across the busy square before she had the chance to lose her nerve, bumping into several people along the way. When she reached Elizabeth, Eva shoved the gown into her arms. It nearly killed her, but if she didn’t let go now, she never would. “Here,” she said awkwardly. “Just . . . just don’t tell anyone it was from me. Please!”

  Elizabeth stared at the package then tore open the corner. When she saw what was inside, her green eyes looked as if they might fall out of her head. Without a word to Eva, she turned and started running, shrieking at the top of her lungs.

  “Mother! Mother, look what Eva gave me!”

  Eva stood there staring after her. “Well, that was . . . different,” she said as Rynn came to stand beside her.

  “You’ll keep it quiet, huh?” Rynn frowned, but before Eva could say anything, a deafening bang came from behind them. The other girls ran up to join them just as a dreaded familiar face appeared in the middle of the square, balanced precariously on the fountain.

  “All six of you again?” The fairy scowled. “Do any of you ever do anything by yourselves? No, don’t answer that.” He glared at Sophie. “Especially you. We all know what you do when you have time to waste.”

  “Mortimer, why are you here?” Rynn crossed her arms. “None of us called you.”

  “You think I don’t know that? Believe me, if I didn’t have to be here I wouldn’t.” He rubbed his stubbly chin and looked around until he spotted Eva. “What’s all this fuss about?”

  “Uh . . .” Eva stuttered, but Rynn stepped in front of her.

  “She was just saying hello to an old friend.”

  Mortimer looked at Eva then back at Elizabeth, who was still screeching for her mother at the top of her lungs. He scowled again. “Didn’t that girl call you Lumber Man when you were little?”


  Eva threw up her hands in exasperation. “So I had a growth spurt! Is that all anyone remembers from that year?”

  He rolled his sleeve up and scratched his ear thoughtfully. Then he froze and looked directly at Eva. “Did I ever give you any gifts?”

  “Don’t answer him, Eva,” Leisa whispered. “It’s a trap.”

  “So…” Mortimer frowned, “what kind of stuff do you like?”

  “That’s very kind of you, but I really don’t need anything.” Eva glanced around at the growing crowd that was surrounding them. People were beginning to point and whisper amongst themselves.

  “Truly,” Rynn said. “You really don’t need to do this.” She fixed him with a glare. “I mean it. Just . . . just let her reward be the satisfaction of having done something kind.” The other girls nodded behind them.

  Mortimer shook his wings out and cracked his knuckles. “Nice try, sister. The fairy council has been chasing my tail about ignoring your pathetic family for too long. If I do this, consider yourselves attended to for another year or so.” He hopped off the fountain and walked up to Eva, his robes swishing in sharp, agitated movements. “Aren’t you the harp player?”

  Eva’s mouth went dry.

  But he just nodded to himself. “And doesn’t your family have a thing for farming?”

  “Woodcutting,” Eva managed to whisper.

  But Mortimer was already walking in a circle nodding to himself again. “So . . . farming and a harp. Farming and a harp.” He snapped his fingers. “I’ve got it.”